Pets play an extremely therapeutic role in the lives of many, providing companionship and relieving stress from an otherwise hectic day. The integration of the family pet into the owner's daily activities, as well as into society as a whole, has increased significantly in recent years. Recognizing the desire of many pet owners to include their pets in their daily routines, many stores now provide access to both owners and their pets, and there are even restaurants, which will provide a gourmet meal for an owner and his or her pet.
In addition to the increased access provided to owners and their pets, an entire industry is devoted to providing products to accommodate the safe transportation of pets so that they may always be with their owner. Products ranging from hand held carriers, to car safety seats (U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,892 for VEHICLE SAFETY SEAT FOR PETS awarded to Edwards on Jan. 2, 1996), to car seat belts for pets (U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,630 for ANIMAL SAFETY SEAT BELT awarded to Luce on Jan. 30, 1990), to various types of pet carriers for bicycles and motorcycles (U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,646 for PET CARRIER FOR BICYCLE awarded to White on Nov. 26, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,227 for MOTORCYLE MOUNTED DOG CARRIER awarded to Jorgensen on Sep. 22, 1998; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,874 for PET CARRIER awarded to Ravin on Nov. 10, 1998).
While a majority of these products are directed to the cat and small dog segments of the pet population, many of these pets can become nervous and easily agitated when exposed to new environments, strange people, and other animals. This problem is particularly apparent when a pet is taken on a bicycle ride with his owner. Unfortunately, since the pet carriers currently available are all mounted behind the owner over the back wheel of the bicycle, the owner is unable to soothe his or her pet when it becomes agitated during a bicycle ride. Further, while the owner is able to transport the pet on the bicycle ride, the owner receives very little beneficial feedback from the pet since the pet is out of his view and touch while riding. Additionally, and most distressing, is the realization that, with a rear wheel mounted pet carrier, the owner may not be aware if his or her pet falls, jumps, or otherwise gets out of the pet carrier for quite some time until the owner has the opportunity to again turn around and check on the status of the pet.
In addition to the safety and companionship issues discussed above, the current state of the art in bicycle mounted pet carriers also provides limited comfort for the pet. Typically, most bicycle mounted pet carriers provide a flat bottom with raised walls into which the pet is placed for the bicycle ride. Unfortunately, this design requires that the pet remain in a sitting position with weight on the pet's front paws. In an attempt to alleviate the pressure on the front paws, the pet in a rear wheel mounted bicycle carrier may lean on the back of the owner with his head or front paws. This not only presents an uncomfortable position for the rider with the additional weight and heat from the pet pressing on the rider's back, but also raises certain safety concerns if a quick evasive move is required by the rider. Additionally, the pet's position directly behind the rider's back provides a drafting effect for the pet which significantly reduces the amount of air which blows across the pet to keep the pet cool and comfortable. While many pet carriers for bicycles include ventilation holes in the carrier itself, these holes cannot make up for the reduced air flow resulting from the drafting effect of being placed so close behind the rider's back.
As a result of these and other problems existing in the art, the pleasure which may have been derived from bringing an owner's companion along for a ride has been greatly diminished. Further, the comfort and safety of both the pet and the owner has also been reduced. Therefore, the need exists for a pet carrier for a bicycle which overcomes these and other known problems existing in the art.